Kiipu

Correct, the ferrule is made of copper or copper-alloy that is painted black. This painting of the ferrule shows up toward the end of Iijima production. So as to give credit where credit is due, it was Stegel that brought this to my attention earlier this year.

Chris, interesting observation about the burlap on Type 100s. Could the souvenir swords be made from canvass instead of painted fabric?

I do not mind at all and that is why Brian archives older posts so that they can be reread down the road. Below is the link so that others can find it. A real WW2 naval sword?

@Mister Gunto There is a second one that can be seen at the link below. However, I have been unable to translate it yet. It is a Seki-made blade though. Help with different Gunto Signature

It is not often that paperwork and pictures can be found for one of these offshore made swords. Please read the entire thread before commenting. Sword Bring back help

小森勝幸 = Komori Katsuyuki. Links to @k morita & @Nobody translations of signature. seki-stamped tang, mei help needed & Mei Translation Help Needed - thank you

Listen to "The Blacksmith!" He can make you a better one. @Shamsy

Dawson used the information provided by Donald B. for his book. And since Donald mentioned the "copper plated alloy" ferrules, Dawson mentioned it on page 184. Also, I think a picture of one can be seen on page 186, plate 15-5. However, no mention is made of this fact. Not much more is said about ferrules in the book other than the iron ones. I think there is more to the story in regards to these ferrules. They started out with brass, commonly referred to as copper due to the color, and finished with black painted steel, sometimes called iron. (Note the confusing use of several different terms to describe the same item.) In between, there were several different materials used, sometimes concurrently. The early Nagoya ferrules used a brass-tinted copper ferrule while Iijima seemed to be using the copper-plated alloy. This would seem to indicate that there were more than one manufacturer, possibly similar to what is seen with scabbards and handles which have distinct differences based upon the supervising arsenal. In regards to the silvered colored base material, I think there are at least two versions, the early one is a copper-plated aluminium/almite? while the other one is a nickel/chrome plated copper. For an example of the later version, see @Stegel's infographic at the link below. Type 95 Gunto - Transitional Tsuba Hopefully, this will help clarify why I am asking questions about ferrules. I just think there is more to the story. And belatedly, my apologies to @Lareon for hijacking his thread and turning it into the "mysteries of the Type 95 ferrule."

This ferrule has the color of Almite, which is also seen on some of the early aluminium handles. It could also just be staining caused by the plating or painting. Type 95 Brass-colored Tsuka - A Discovery!

The late Donald B. of Melbourne, Australia, mentioned a "copper plated alloy" ferrule. He noted the following serials; 34593東, 37048東, 57964東, and 136621東. Unfortunately, none of these have surfaced yet via photographs. I think Tony's Type 95 could very well be an an example of this variant.

@Lareon If still at hand, I have some technical questions about your Type 95. Looking at the pictures of the ferrule, the part that has the arsenal symbol and company logo on it, it seems it is made of a silver colored alloy. In addition, there seems to be a copper color that has worn off. 1. What is the ferrule made of? Is it magnetic? 2. The copper color seen on the ferrule, is it paint or copper plated? Attention: @Stegel

@BANGBANGSAN What is this all about 刀茎有伊奈波神社的海军锚标? 二战97式海军刀

Stephen, maybe Yoshinao? 濃州関住武山義尚作 = Nōshū Seki jū Takeyama Yoshinao Saku. Translation assistance please

The markings indicate Chinese use. @BANGBANGSAN should be able to provide a date based upon the flags. One of the markings could have been removed and replaced with another.

The sword would have been assembled by Wakase. Not everything is made in-house, even back then. The patent did not belong to Wakase. It had something to do with the production process of the grip. I was slightly off in my dates above. The patent was issued in December 1942 so your sword dates from 1943 to 1944.

Conway, your sword is only the second one known. It was made during or after 1942 as that is when the patent was issued. Below is a link to the other known sword. Police Sword?

Many thanks for the hilt picture Conway. The Wakase company logo can be seen in this picture posted by @k morita. Sign on Sword, Post #2 特許 = Patent.

Thanks John for the measurements of the small encircled anchor stamp. There seems to be several different sizes of encircled anchor stamps used. So far, 4 and 6 mm have been reported; however, there are still a few more sizes that have not yet been recorded. Or should I say, not yet asked for. Arsenal Stamps.

A nice Wakase Military Sword Workshop 若瀬軍刀製作所 logo. I wouldn't mind seeing a picture of the hilt top if your willing.

Maybe Kanetsugu 兼継?

@Bruce Pennington Stamp alert, lower left corner.

John, can you measure the diameter of the encircled anchor stamp in millimeters?

Looks like a Nagamitsu 長光, the swordsmith of many signatures. ICHIHARA NAGAMITSU

It is an American company. However, the founder was Ukrainian so maybe your not too far off. ЯK = ARKAY. 103 Horstmann/Arkay/Spaulding Complex

For swords, I am not aware of a master list of suppliers. The Mizuno advertisement was found in a civilian book and not the archives.